FSP has some growing up to do

Saturday

Jan 12, 2013 at 3:15 AM

We would expect more political savvy from an eight year old.

On Wednesday, supporters of the Free State Project reported they had sent flowers to State Rep. Cynthia Chase thanking her “for all the free media coverage, which naturally resulted in more new people signing up for the Free State Project.”

According to an email from FreeKeene.com, “a small group of FSP participants put together a nice ‘thank you’ card and flower bouquet that was delivered to her committee meeting in Concord today (Jan. 9).”

Chase was the subject of controversy for blogging that she wanted to make Free State followers uncomfortable or encourage them to leave New Hampshire: “One way is to pass measures that will restrict the ‘freedoms’ that they think they will find here. Another is to shine the bright light of publicity on who they are and why they are coming,” she wrote, in part, at Bluestate.org.

Earlier, we editorialized on the matter under the heading, “Co-opting our way of life.”

While Chase’s threat to anyone’s freedoms has no place in the conversation, her motivation is shared by many who see the Free State Project as wanting to co-opt the political process under cover of the Republican Party rather than marching behind the libertarian flag which more rightly represents their belief in “leave us all alone” government.

Some in the Free State Project seemed to understand our motivation and our point.

From John Turner on the FSP Facebook page: “I support the FSP but that article [editorial] has a point. I think there is room to improve how FSP gets the message out that the intent is not to “take over” but to specifically make sure that DOESN’T happen like it has elsewhere in the country and in DC.”

From Kevin Freeheart: “In some ways, I agree with this author, actually. Specifically, ‘But we do urge the state Republican Party to take a long, hard look at distinguishing itself and its conservative values from the libertarian ways of the Free Staters even if that leads to a viable third party. At least then we will have a more clear idea of who and what we are voting come Election Day.’ ”

Others continued to deny reality: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

Anyone who thinks the Free Stater movement was helped by November’s election results is in denial. It was very much the “our way or the highway” attitude supported by too many Free Staters which helped put or keep the N.H. House, the governor’s office and, arguably, our congressional seats in the hands of nanny state government under the Democrats — something we had thought anathema to the FSP.

We understand, that as with any fledgling movement, there needs to be a growing-up process. But childishly delivering flowers to Chase as a thank you would indicate the FSP has a ways to go.